Deposit safe explained: designs, security levels and locks

A deposit safe is a safe with a deposit opening: cash, envelopes or keys are dropped in without the safe being opened. A retrieval safeguard prevents anything deposited from being fished back out; only someone with the key or code can remove the contents. “Deposit safe” is another word for drop safe.

Deposit safe and drop safe: two names, one device

There is no technical difference between a deposit safe and a drop safe. DiaDorn uses both terms for the same units: model 12101 is described as a deposit safe, and the category containing 12101, 12201 and 12203 is called “Deposit safes with throw-in slot”. In the product details, the throw-in opening is also referred to as the deposit opening. The differences lie in the design – throw-in slot, drop-down flap or drawer – and in security levels A and B. All models are listed under Deposit safes.

A night safe is something different. It is a facility run by banks and savings banks through which registered customers can pay in cash outside counter opening hours. A deposit safe, by contrast, is installed on your own premises. How it replaces the bank’s night safe is covered in the article Night safes: what businesses do when the bank withdraws them.

Three designs: slot, flap, drawer

Deposit safe with throw-in slot

Cash and envelopes are dropped in through the slot. The compact security level A models measure 300 × 280 × 260 mm, hold 21.84 l and have a 20 × 150 mm throw-in slot. Thanks to their compact dimensions, they can be built into service counters, sales counters or cabinets. One example is the Deposit safe with deposit slot – PIN code, business customers with an electronic PIN code lock, weighing 13.4 kg. On the heavy security level B models, the deposit opening of the 12201 measures 230 × 30 mm. All models: Deposit Safes with Throw-In Slot.

Deposit safe with drop-down flap

Cash bags, envelopes and keys fit through the flap. The drop-down flap measures 70 × 225 × 190 mm. In security level A, the standard height measures 450 × 280 × 300 mm with 35 l volume; the tall models 10523 and 10524 are 650 mm high and hold 54 l. In security level B, the flap is available on the 10423 and 10424. All models: Deposit Safes with Drop Down Flap.

Deposit safe with drawer

On the 13201, 13202 and 13203, items are deposited via a drawer with a 200 × 126 mm opening and its own lock. When the drawer is locked, its base opens and the contents drop into the lower section of the safe.

Retrieval safeguard

All DiaDorn deposit safes with slot, flap or drawer have a retrieval safeguard. It prevents deposited notes from being fished back out. Depositing requires no key; only authorised persons can open the safe. This lets staff deposit the daily takings during business hours or at the end of a shift without having access to the contents.

Security levels A and B

Every DiaDorn safe has security level A or B, built according to VDMA 24992. The security level A models are single-walled with a 3 mm wall and 6 mm door. In security level B, the 10423 and 10424 are double-walled with a total thickness of 40 mm. Models 12101, 12201, 12203 and 13201 to 13203 are filled with concrete and weigh between 131 kg and 267 kg.

The insurer decides how much cash is covered. Our insurance assessment based on experience:

• Security level A: approx. €1,500 cash
• 10423, 10424 and 12101 (security level B): up to approx. €2,500
• 12201, 12203 and 13201 to 13203 (security level B): up to approx. €10,000

The concrete-filled models are listed under Heavy-duty deposit safes.

Anchoring

A deposit safe must be firmly anchored. Its weight makes it harder to carry away, but it is no substitute for anchoring. The compact slot and flap models can be anchored to wall and floor, as can the 10423 and 10424. The 10103, 10125, 10126, 10127, 10181 and 10187 are anchored to the floor, as are the heavy models 12101, 12201 and 12203. The drawer models 13201 to 13203 are prepared for floor anchoring. The safe is mounted using all fixing points, directly against the wall or floor without a gap. Fastening material is included.

Lock types

• Double-bit key lock: 2 keys as standard. The 101013 to 101015 (slot) and 101233 to 101235 (flap) come in the same design with 3, 4 or 5 keys.
• Electronic PIN code lock: on the 10102 with one master code and one user code.
• Fingerprint and PIN code: 10105 and 10115 with slot, 10127 and 10187 with flap.
• Four-eyes principle with two locks: on the 10201 (slot) and 10223 (flap), two people, each with one key, open the safe together. The 12203 has a PIN code and a key; the door only opens with both.
• Security level B with drop-down flap: the 10423 has a high-security key lock (lock certified to VdS Class A – this applies to the lock, not the safe). The 10424 has the Easthouse SafeLogic C10 electronic combination lock (lock certified to VdS Class 2 – this applies to the lock, not the safe) with an opening delay of 1 to 40 minutes.

Where deposit safes are used

Used in hospitality and retail: in restaurants, cafés, bars, bakeries, drugstores and boutiques. Models with drop-down flap are found in car dealerships, workshops and vehicle rental companies, for daily takings and vehicle keys. For churches and parishes there are offertory boxes, such as the 10508 with a throw-in slot on top. Deposit safes are built for indoor use.

Delivery

DiaDorn has been producing deposit safes for business customers since 2013. Stock items are delivered within Germany in 1–2 working days, with free shipping there; delivery abroad takes longer depending on the country. The heavy models are delivered by freight forwarder to the kerbside.